CARING students have inspired family and friends by staging their first ever community event.

Year 7 students at Darlington Education Village organised the Fair Trade Event to raise awareness of the issue.

The students sold Fair Trade products, cakes and drinks and helped to promote and sell raffle tickets with all proceeds going to the charity Traidcraft.

Teacher, Lynne Coulter said: Its an opportunity for the students to invite their parents and friends and show them what they have done and have learned.

By getting them involved in an event like this it will increase their knowledge and hopefully pass it on to others too.

We have raised awareness with the children by showing them what we put in our shopping basket can actually affect someone at the other side of the world.

Its about encouraging the children to make ethical and moral choices and hopefully this event has helped with that.

A DVD was shown about third world countries and posters and leaflets explaining fair trade formed part of the student exhibition which took place last week.

Student Danika Gilpin, 11, of Darlington, said: I think this is a really good idea as it encourages children to buy Fair Trade products.

Most of the people in Africa are less fortunate than us so its our way of helping them.